Campaigns start for Iraq parliamentary elections

Campaigning has begun for Iraq's parliamentary elections slated for April 30th, with no single party expected to win an absolute majority.

The walls in the capital of Baghdad and other cities around the country are plastered with photos of candidates vying for the 328 seats in the Council of Representatives.

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The election campaign in Iraq kicked off a week after members of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) resigned collectively. The nine-member IHEC board handed in its resignation in protest at what it said were conflicting rulings from the parliament and judiciary on banning would-be candidates from running in the upcoming general elections.

Meanwhile, Iraq is experiencing a surge in violence, with al-Qaeda-linked militants regaining momentum, especially in the country’s west.

Though not officially confirmed, the vote appears unlikely to be held in Anbar Province which has been gripped by violence over the past few months.

Anbar plunged into violence in December 2013, after security forces cleared a camp that the government said was being used by militants for launching terrorist attacks.

Experts and politicians say terrorist groups such as the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) are coming to Iraq from neighboring Syria and Saudi Arabia to undermine security in the country.

The repercussions of the violence in Anbar have sent shock waves throughout the country especially in the capital, Baghdad.

According to reports, nearly 2,200 people have been killed in acts of violence in Iraq so far this year.

The United Nations says about 400,000 people have been displaced this year due to the ongoing violence in Anbar, expressing "grave concern" about the presence of al-Qaeda-inspired militants in the western province.